Wherever you travel in the world, you are going to need a convenient way to access your money abroad. Over the last decade especially, we’ve seen a whole array of new travel money card options outside of your brick and mortar exchanges to get foreign currency.
You may have booked some flights with Qantas but Qantas also offers customers a travel money card that can be used on trips. This article will get to know the ins and outs of the new Qantas Pay card.
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The Qantas Pay card is a new standalone reloadable multi-currency card offered by Qantas and Mastercard. It is replacing the existing Qantas Travel Money card which was built into a Qantas Frequent Flyer member card.¹
The Qantas Pay card is useful for anyone travelling abroad and wants to spend and reload their money into different currencies. Users will also be able to lock in exchange rates at any time and use the card at home in Australia, on overseas trips and online.¹
The main features and benefits of this card include¹:
You’ll also earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points on every purchase. You’ll earn 2 points for every $1 spent in a foreign currency, 1 point for every $4 spent in AUD, and 1.25 points for every $1 spent shopping or flying with Qantas.²
✈️ Don't leave without the right card. Find the best travel card for overseas and spend smarter during your trip.
The Qantas Pay card supports 15 foreign currencies including¹:
You can also load AUD on to this card and spend this instead of locking in any of the above currencies.
Some cons for the Qantas Pay card include:
One key issue with reloadable travel cards like this one is that when you lock in an exchange rate, it could mean missing out on a more favourable one down the line.
There is no minimum balance required to be held but there are some other key account limits to be aware of including¹:
Each customer is only eligible for one Qantas Pay card at a time.
Dealing in foreign currency can bring with it extra fees, even if they aren’t clear upfront. Here are some of the fees you can expect to pay using the Qantas Pay card. To see how it compares, we’ll compare it with Wise, an alternative provider.
| Fees in AUD | Qantas Pay travel card*³ | Wise Card* |
|---|---|---|
| Card order fee | Free | $10 |
| Minimum load amount | $50 | $1 AUD |
| Max spendable balance on card/account | AUD$100,000 | No limits, depending on currency. See here |
| Monthly/yearly maintenance fee | No fee | No fee |
| Digital card available? | No | Yes (see cards here) |
| ATM fees | Varies by currency. Fees to withdraw:
| Free ATM withdrawals up to 400 AUD per month. After that, a variable fee of 2.69% applies. See more pricing here Note: ATM service providers may charge their own fees |
| International payments fee % for spending 100 AUD in GBP | No international transaction fees but two exchange rates depending on if spending or loading currencies | Variable fee starting from 0.39% if a currency conversion is needed for the payment. See 100 AUD spent in GBP |
| Exchange rate used | Margin included | Mid-market rate |
*As seen on 14 January 2026
Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
The exchange rates are determined by Qantas and Mastercard and vary depending on the type of transaction. However, there will be a margin charged in the available rate. This margin can vary depending on whether you are loading funds onto your card or making a purchase that involves a currency conversion.
The spend rate is known as the Qantas Daily Rate and changes based on the moving exchange rate.¹ The load rate is locked in daily and published on the Qantas money website.³
We’ll do an example calculation of what spending and loading 100 AUD in GBP looks like on the Qantas Pay card. We’ll compare this with Wise, an alternative provider of a multi-currency card option.
| Qantas Pay Spend GBP³ | Qantas Pay load rate GBP³ | Wise GBP⁴ |
|---|---|---|
| Qantas Daily Rate is $1 AUD = 0.4642 GBP If you have 100 AUD loaded, you will be able spend 46.42 GBP | To load GBP, you’ll be locking an exchange rate of $1 AUD = 0.4706 GBP If you load $100 AUD into GBP, a balance of 47.06 GBP will be in your account. | Wise mid-market rate is $1 AUD = 0.4977 GBP Wise charges a small fixed fee of 0.37 cents. If you spend $100 AUD, you will be able to spend 49.58 GBP with the fee already incorporated into the calculation. |
*As seen on 14 January 2026
As you can see from above, you get more GBP for your AUD with Wise compared to the Qantas Pay card.
How to apply is based on whether you are a pre-existing customer or not.⁵
For those with an active Qantas Travel Money card, you will only need to apply if you want to have your own Qantas Pay card. If you don’t want one straight away, you don’t have to do anything except continue using your Qantas Travel Money card until it expires. For new customers, read on.⁵
New customers to Qantas will be able to apply online or by downloading the app as long as they meet some eligibility requirements.¹
You will need to provide proof of ID as part of the application process, even if you are already a member. If you’re not a Qantas frequent flyer member, you will need to become one before you can apply for a Qantas Pay card.²
Once you apply, fill in the online form, prove your identity, and your application gets approved, you’ll receive your card in 5 to 7 days.⁵
You can load up your Qantas Pay card online via your account or through the Qantas Pay app by using¹:
Each time you want to reload your card, you’ll always have to pay in AUD and then your funds will be converted into the desired currency. The fastest way to pay is through your debit card which can be instant, while bank transfers or BPay can take 1-2 business days.
The Qantas Pay card comes with several in-built security features including¹:
This is combined with the added behind the scenes Fraud protection through Mastercard Zero Liability, which is available across other Qantas cards.
You won’t be able to use your Qantas Pay card for any purchases that involve gambling or adult entertainment. There are also some countries where your card cannot be used including Crimea, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Eastern Ukraine. This card and other Mastercard options provided by Qantas and beyond cannot be used in ATMs in Russia.¹
To contact Qantas about this card, you can
Phone lines can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
With a Wise Account you can hold money in over 40 currencies and spend it in over 150 countries. You can also order local account details in popular world currencies like AUD, NZD, USD, EUR, GBP to receive local and/or international payments like a local.
Whenever you exchange currencies it’s done using the mid-market rate with a transparent conversion fee shown upfront.
To make everyday spending easier you can order a Wise Debit card for your Wise Account and generate virtual cards as needed. If you have the local currency in your Wise Account the Wise card will use it. If you don’t have local currency converted, it uses smart technology to auto-convert your money at the mid-market rate, for a conversion fee.
The Wise card may suit you better if you’re to spend money that you’ve stored in different currencies within an existing Wise Account, and benefit from free ATM withdrawals up to 400 AUD per month. After that, a variable fee of 2.69% applies (keep in mind that ATM providers may charge their own fees). You can see our full fee breakdown for ATM withdrawals here.
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Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
Explore Wise Interest to earn potential returns on your AUD and USD*
Your money is invested in a fund of government-backed securities—without being locked away. So, you can still spend your money as usual while it has the opportunity to grow.
* Wise Interest is a custody and nominee service offered through Wise Australia Investments Pty Ltd (ACN 659 961 083) (AFSL: 545411). Franklin Templeton is the issuer and manager of the Franklin Government Cash Fund. Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the Wise Australia Interest Legal page for Wise Australia Investment's Financial Services Guide and the fund's Product Disclosure Statement to see if this product is right for you.
Sources:
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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